January 2023 Prime Picks
Reviewer's Choice
Reviewer's Choice
The Charlton
Companion
Jon B. Cooke
9781605491110
$43.95
TwoMorrows Publishing
www.twomorrows.com
Jon. B.
Cooke's The Charlton Companion
provides a
history of Connecticut's comic book company. This may surprise
knowledgeable
comic history readers who are aware that the company has often been
considered
a second-rate funny-book institution unworthy of acclaim, but Charlton
produced
a vast range of titles and fostered artists who excelled in creativity
and
humor alike.
Interviews
with
dozens of its participants and artists, along with some residents who
worked in
the company over three decades ago, are presented alongside sidebars of
lively
discourse and striking color illustrations of Charlton products, making
The Charlton Companion a 'must'
acquisition for any comic book history library.
Dune Shacks
of
Provincetown
Jane Paradise
Schiffer Publishing
9780764363610
$34.99
www.schifferpublishing.com
Dune Shacks of Provincetown belongs in
both architectural history
collections and, particularly, in any library with a special interest
in
Massachusetts subjects. It brings to life the Cape Cod National
Seashore area
and 19 vintage shacks that are set amongst its dunes.
Quotes from
a myriad
of literary figures consider the liquid landscapes of the region and
the
importance of preserving both nature and the human habitations among
it. These
accompany facing pages of color photos that depict landscapes, dune
shack
interiors and exteriors, and artistic images of structures that capture
the
history and mystery of the area.
The
backshore of
Provincetown and the dune shacks that are profiled here as remnants of
makeshift summer homes from the early 1900s creates a special sense of
history
and nature that intersect in a powerful visual collection reinforced by
the
poetic and prosaic contributions of a variety of observers and artists.
The result
is a
uniquely lovely compilation that should find a place in any collection
strong
in seashore landscapes, human and natural structures, and Massachusetts
history
in particular.
Ilex Press
www.ilex.press
Two
outstanding books
about photography are highly recommended picks for libraries seeking
books that
are standouts.
The revised,
updated
version of Pring's Photographer's
Miscellany: Stories, Techniques, Tips & Trivia
(9781781578728, $12.99)
reviews the early pioneers of photography and the lesser-known history
surrounding the art, from the early principle of the camera obscura in
China in
the 5th century BCE to the international equivalent of asking people to
say
"cheese" while posing for a shot.
The
compendium of
vintage black and white photos and whimsical facts about the fine art
of
photography over the ages makes for a fine collection that especially
excels in
trivia history. The diverse collection of details is fun to read and
hard to
put down.
Michael Freeman On... Light & Shadow: The
Ultimate Photography
Masterclass (9781781578544, $27.99) offers new ideas and
insights based on
some forty years of photographic experience, considering how the world
of
shadows is as important to photographic art as its typical focus on
utilizing light.
Freeman's
book is
designed to make the most of applying light and shadow in a picture,
showing
fellow photographers how to take command of and incorporate both
facets. This survey
is packed with new content, employing a format that lends to easy
understanding
of light and shadow technicalities, paired with examples that highlight
best
practices and possibilities.
In profiling
normal,
everyday scenes that hold opportunity for extraordinary pictures via a
better
understanding of light and shadow contrasts, Freeman produces a guide
which
should be in any serious photographer's 'how to' collection.
The
Imperfect
Nutritionist
Jennifer Medhurst
Kyle Books
9781914239755
$29.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
The Imperfect Nutritionist: 7 Principles of Healthy
Eating links
food to health in a title which avoids the usual 'what to eat/what not
to eat'
in favor of exploring the underlying principles of a basic healthy diet.
From
understanding
the value in prebiotic and probiotic foods and fermented foods to
incorporating
diversity in one's diet while accounting for fats and carb content,
Jennifer
Medhurst goes beyond the diet-and-recipe contents of most cookbooks
(though some
70 recipes do support her contentions) to provide a treatise on
nutrition that
pairs desirable, flavorful foods with better knowledge of the basics of
how
they support health.
Libraries
seeking a
nutrition guide filled with health insights will find The
Imperfect Nutritionist's cookbook/health
guide to be inviting, packed with color photos and insights that are
easy to
absorb.
Koala
Danielle Clode
W.W. Norton
9781324036838
$27.95
www.wwnorton.com
Koala: A Natural history and an Uncertain Future
is an in-depth
survey of one of nature's more iconic and mysterious creatures. It
journeys
into the koala's world to consider their history and changing
relationship with
humans.
Danielle
Clode's
background in biology and natural history lends to a lively tale of
koalas in
the wild and those raised in wildlife parks.
An evocative
voice
adds drama to the insights:
"I cannot imagine what a koala senses when it leans
into a tree -
the security of its claws digging into the bark, the warmth of the sun
or the
cool of the shade, the firm reassurance of a branch at their back. Can
they
feel the freshness of the leaves they select, or the solidity of the
branch
bearing their weight? I don't know. But I do know that koalas, like all
of us,
need something to hold, whether it's a tree or the warmth of another
body."
Natural
history
collections will find Koala an
engrossing, educational encounter that will attract a wide audience.
Learn to
Crochet in
10 Easy Lessons
Galena Baca
Stackpole Books
9780811770743
$24.95
www.stackpolebooks.com
There are
many, many
how-to books on crochet already on the market—so why the need for yet
another
beginner's guide? Because Learn to
Crochet in 10 Easy Lessons features not just a close-up
pictorial review of
stitches and techniques, but 28 patterns that encourage beginner
success.
Other pluses
include
right- or left-handed holding and crochet directions, definitions of
basic
crochet shorthand instructions, and close-up color photos that leave
nothing to
wonder.
Learn to Crochet in 10 Easy Lessons is
far more attractive and
easier to use than most beginner's crochet guides, and is highly
recommended
for any individual or collection that wants to learn the most in the
least
amount of time.
Roadside
Geology of
Hawai'i
Rick Hazlett, Cheryl
Gansecki, Steve Lundblad
Mountain Press
Publishing
9780878427116
$26.00
www.mountain-press.com
The second
updated
edition of Roadside Geology of Hawai'i
has been completely revised to include the 2018 eruption of Kilauea,
and helps
armchair geologists and destination-bound visitors better understand
the
formations and wonders that make up the different Hawaiian islands.
From
waterfalls and
lava tube caves to rejuvenated volcanic activity on some islands, Rick
Hazlett
and his fellow authors traverse the geologic development of the region
and the
science of their formation and ongoing evolution.
Roadside Geology of Hawai'i's in-depth
coverage, with its bright
color charts, photos, and explanations that move from science to travel
attractions, is highly recommended for geology and travel libraries
alike.
Steinbeck's
Imaginarium
Robert DeMott
University of New
Mexico Press
9780826364289
$45.00
www.unmpress.com
Steinbeck's Imaginarium: Essays on Writing,
Fishing, and Other Critical
Matters is a literary examination that delves into various
aspects of John
Steinbeck's writing. It blends biography with literary analysis to
illuminate
his lesser-covered works and the influences on their production.
Interconnected
themes
and origins in works ranging from Cannery
Row to The Grapes of Wrath
require a wide-ranging familiarity with the extent of Steinbeck's
works. This background
knowledge is rewarded with a powerful series of essays that link
Steinbeck's
mental condition, perspective, and objectives to the works that made
him
famous.
College-level
students of Steinbeck who would delve into his works with a critical
eye to
better understanding their roots in his life experiences will find Steinbeck's Imaginarium a fine survey of
exploratory essays that departs from many of the usual scholarly routes
of
inspection to embrace his life and art in a different manner.
Walt's
Apprentice
Dick Nunis
Disney Press
9781368078047
$25.99
www.disneybooks.com
So many
books have
appeared about Walt Disney that it's refreshing to see one that focuses
on a key
individual that supported this legend and endeavor in Walt's
Apprentice: Keeping the Disney Dream Alive.
This
personal memoir
comes from one who learned from and worked directly for Walt Disney for
a dozen
years, then spent some thirty fostering Walt's vision and creations as
an
operations leader.
Dick Nunis
providers
much insider information about the Disney effort, but part of the added
value
of this survey is his attention to details about how he and his teams
incorporated Walt's uncompromising views on resiliency, determination,
and
leadership to continue building on his vision.
While Disney
fans of
all ages will find Walt's Apprentice an
attraction, it also will appeal to business leaders interested in the
process
of fostering and supporting a mega-dream.
Young Adult/Children
Arctis Books
www.arctis-books.com
Three new arrivals
from Arctis Books provide middle grade to YA readers with inviting stories.
Marianne Kaurin's Our Own Little Paradise (9781646900183,
$15.00) tells of a looming summer after the last day of sixth grade, which Ina
views with trepidation.
While her classmates
eagerly discuss summer vacation plans, her mother is out of work and they have
no money. Unable to confess this, she lies when asked about her summer plans, inventing
a trip to the tropics. It's a lie that keeps on growing until a new boy in
class discovers the truth and decides to help her.
The warm story that
emerges will attract middle grade readers with a lesson in truth, lies, and
supportive friends.
Joachen Till's
gorgeous Memento Monstrum
(9781646900107, $20.00) is translated by Rachel Ward and features lovely
colorful drawings peppering Count Dracula's memoirs.
Monsters abound in
this presentation, with hair-raising stories and compelling tales of silly
spider dilemmas, invisible agents and secret services, and a performance with
the Beatles.
The zany
circumstances and tales in Memento
Monstrum will attract into adult circles with its fun, original adventures.
Mats Strandberg's The End (9781646908004, $10.00) provides
young adults with the story of teens Simon and Lucinda who are tackling love,
mystery problem-solving, and the end of the world.
As the themes
dovetail and provide unexpected developments fitting for thriller and intrigue
readers, The End introduces prospects
and discoveries that will prove hard to put down.
All are highly
recommended acquisitions for libraries catering to middle grade to YA
audiences.
Candlewick Press
www.candlewickpress.com
These new picture
books from Candlewick offer young leisure readers and read-aloud adults a fine
array of themes and inviting stories.
How to Help a Friend by Karl Newson (9781536226676, $17.99) should
be on the reading lists of children and in the libraries of those seeking to
educate the young about being mindful and helpful to others.
Clara Anganuzzi's
lovely illustrations supplement the story of how to help a depressed friend,
and how to handle emotions. The message embraces various kinds of friendships
and their diverse needs and interests while helping kids understand the basics
of helping others.
Paula White's The Baker by the Sea (9781536223897,
$18.99) follows a young boy who notes the special roles of every busy person in
town.
The fishermen, he
thinks, are the most important; but his father is a baker and he seems destined
to follow in his shoes ... even if he would rather go to sea and contribute to
the town in a different way.
Themes of family legacy,
business, and contributing to one's environment are accented by black and white
illustrations following the boy's revelations about his world.
Jane Clarke's Tiptoe Tiger (9781536227505, $17.99)
tells of Tara the tiger cub, who wants to play as the sun goes down in the
jungle. However, her activities keep others around her awake.
Can she tiptoe
through the jungle and still have more quiet adventures? Britta Teckentrup's
large-size, exceptionally colorful drawings accompany a dialogue that encourages
read-aloud and interactive adventure as children are invited to observe, mimic,
and understand Tara's perspective and world.
Robert Frost's
classic Stopping By Woods on a Snowy
Evening (9781536229141, $18.99) receives simply gorgeous, artistic
illustrations by P.J. Lynch which bring the rhyme to life for all ages.
These large-size
portraits of a snowy evening's wonders evoke the images of a winter wonderland,
illustrating the power of the literary written word for a younger audience than
would normally absorb a Robert Frost piece.
Natalia & Lauren
O'Hara's Friendleswylde
(9781536225099, $18.99) tells of a mysterious boy who enters Cora and Granny's
house in the woods to steal their light.
Cora must follow the
thief down a hole in the pond that leads to his magical kingdom, where she
faces a special series of tasks required to keep water from their door.
Read-aloud parents
will find the intricate details in this lovely fantasy lend to numerous
evenings of read-aloud enjoyment.
Lara Hawthorne's Ratty's Big Adventure (9781536226706,
$17.99) is set in the rain forest and tells of Ratty, who has lived his life in
the crater of an inactive volcano.
When he decides to
leave the predictability and comfort of his home, he discovers more about the
environment around him and the importance of his roots.
The adventure will
attract young readers, while its underlying message will please read-aloud
adults and parents.
Polly Faber's All Through the Night: Important Jobs That
Get Done at Night (9781536227512, $17.99) enjoys engaging illustrations by
Harriet Hobday as it surveys a host of workers who do their jobs at night.
From musical concerts
to 24-hour grocery stores, health services, delivery people, and paramedics,
kids learn of all kinds of disparate jobs that take place when the sun goes
down.
All these books are
exceptional choices for discriminating libraries and parents.
Cocoa Magic
Sandra Badley and
Gabrielle Grimard
Pajama Press
9781772782656 $18.95
www.pajamapress.ca
Cocoa Magic is a picture book that will reach young fans of
chocolate. It tells of eight-year-old Daniel, who loves to help his Great-Uncle
Lewis in his chocolate shop.
Making chocolate is
only part of the story, which embraces a bigger picture when Daniel discovers
that giving chocolates to others can solve many problems.
His desire to hide
chocolates to secretly improve others' lives leads to surprising results when
he finds himself in need, but has kept his altruistic behaviors a secret.
Gorgeous
illustrations and a story with a message invites all ages to partake of a
lesson in giving and positivity.
Disney Press
www.DisneyBooks.com
Loud Mouse by Cara Mentzel and Idina Menzel (9781368078061, $17.99)
is a the fun tale of how a little mouse discovered her big voice, and receives
engaging illustration by Jaclyn Sinquett as it tells of Dee, who loves to sing
... but usually to herself.
It's quite another
matter to sing before an audience. Can Dee, when called upon, summon the
courage to use her big voice for the first time?
The results of her
experiment will delight all ages of picture book reader.
Mo Williams's The Frustrating Book! (9781368074827,
$12.99) presents another Unlimited Squirrels adventure.
Zoom Squirrel wants
to feel new emotions, and his friends work to make this happen. But what if
Zoomy doesn't like them?
Parents looking to
teach kids about feelings will relish the opportunity to absorb the easy
insights of this inviting tale.
Gotcha!
Clotilde Perrin
Gecko Press
9781776574698 $28.99
www.geckopress.com
Gotcha! A Funny Fairy Tale Hide-and-Seek may prove a shelving
challenge, with its oversized presentation—but that only means that the book
needs to be displayed for its full attraction; not shelved and hidden away.
Daniel Hahn
translates a child's hide-and-seek picture book that excels in vivid, full-page
colorful drawings as it explores a nasty hairball, hidden pigs and mice that
hide in a brick house, and a gingerbread house that invites a stinkwart to
crunch at its walls.
The special format of
this book, with its flaps and discoveries, means that it ideally will be chosen
by read-aloud parents and adults for a home collection rather than the rigors
of elementary-level library lending.
Its fun, intriguing
journey of discovery creates a tale replete with whimsical monsters, fun
structures, and stories that easily lend to a child's interactive experience
with adults.
Grandad's Pink Trousers
Lucie Hášová
Truhelková
Albatros
9788000065922 $16.95
www.albatrosbooks.com
Grandad's Pink Trousers tells of a grandfather who isn't the usual
elderly conservative man, but sports a different personality that his grandson
comes to appreciate as he grows older.
From a grandfather's
habit of keeping buckets of water next to the toilet for flushing to wearing
his wife's pink trousers, the old man is a puzzle and embarrassment to many. But
his habits prove to have logic over time, and as the story explores the old
man's oddities and sensibilities, picture book readers will come to appreciate
these differences in a story that celebrates being a tad different from the
norm.
The Moonlight Zoo
Maudie Powell-Tuck
Tiger Tales Press
9781680102918 $18.99
www.tigertalesbooks.com
The Moonlight Zoo is a simply gorgeous picture book that features a
lovely cover and illustrations by Karl James Mountford as it explores Eva's
sleepless night and a missing cat.
Her explorations lead
her to a "Moonlight Zoo" (a place for all lost animals and pets),
where she searches for her missing cat and discovers a host of animals and
clues that her cat may have been there.
The beautiful pages
and illustrations are an outstanding feature of this loving story of a lost cat
and a pack of zoo animals that embark on a journey to help Eva find her loved
one.
The Moonlight Zoo is a keepsake recommendation for adults looking
for lasting stories that deserve a lasting place on the bookshelf.
Red Comet Press
www.redcometpress.com
Néjib
is a graphic designer and illustrator of children's books who puts his hand
literally to work in My Hands (9781636550428,
$18.99), a picture book exploration of hands and what can be done with them.
From playing with
objects and getting dressed to swimming and making hand signals, My Hands provides a fun exploration of
all the possibilities that can involve an adult and listening child as they
explore hands through Néjib's graphics.
Charles Ghigna's Little Hearts (9781636550305, $17.99)
features engaging illustrations by Jacqueline East as it explores the natural
world and treasures to be found there.
The smell of roses
and a busy spider's "silky gift of lace" to a sweet apple's
heart-shaped center are only a few examples that hearts can be found in many
different places in nature. Little Hearts
will delight young picture book readers with a fun story of how hearts, love,
and outdoors attractions are everywhere.
Both lend to
interactive adult participation in read-alouds that encourage exploration and
understanding of self and the world.
Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.net
Picture book readers
ages 4-8 and their read-aloud parents are in for a treat with these fine new
choices.
Alex Willan's Yetis are the Worst! (9781665921770,
$18.99) will reach picture book readers with a very different kind of monster
mash-up.
Gilbert the Goblin
realizes that unicorns throw the best tea parties and dragons make delicious
ice cream soup, but still maintains that Yetis are not cool and mysterious, but
the worst of the monster group.
From find-the-Yeti puzzle
pages to Gilbert's first-person search to prove that they are anything but
mysterious, readers will appreciate the fun of Gilbert's pursuit.
Michelle Sterling's A Sweet New Year for Ren (9781534496606,
$18.99) tells of Ren's family's celebration of Lunar New Year. Will she be old
enough, this time, to participate in making her favorite seasonal pineapple
cakes?
A fine celebration of
family and tradition gives kids warm illustrations and a story that combines a
girl's growth and desire to participate with a fine seasonal tradition.
Robert Quackenbush's Henry's Pizzas (9781534415991, $18.99)
tells of a special birthday in which all of Henry's relatives send him a pizza
to celebrate his day.
Pizza is Henry's
favorite thing; but how can even he consume so many pizzas at once?
A wacky adventure
evolves to interest kids in a particularly delicious dilemma.
Patricia MacLachlan's
Snow Horses: A First Night Story
(9781534473553, $18.99) receives gorgeous, colorful drawings by Caldecott
Honor-winning artist Micha Archer as it tells of two horses, Tim and Tom, who
pull a sleigh and love the snow.
It's the last evening
before the New Year, when special things happen and shared experiences bring
family members together.
The warmth of full-page color panels, combined with an evocative story of horses, snow, and togetherness, provides a fine story that lends to read-aloud family participation.